Alex Rodriguez will have surgery on his left hip. Photograph: Kathy Willens/AP

The New York Yankees announced on Monday that Alex Rodriguez needs hip surgery and could miss the start of next season. The Yankees issued a press release that confirmed media reports of the injury and said that "it could have been a contributing factor during [Rodriguez's] difficult postseason".

He will now undergo a pre-habilitation regimen of four to six weeks, the Yankees said, before "undergoing a left hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum, bone impingement and the correction of a cyst." The Yankees said the surgery would be similar to that which was performed on Rodriguez's right hip in 2009, and would require a four- to six-month recovery period. That would place Rodriguez in doubt for the start of the MLB season, on 1 April, when they are due to host the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees press release said: "The injury was discovered after the conclusion of the season during Rodriguez's regularly scheduled annual November physical evaluation with Dr Marc Philippon. The diagnosis was confirmed after the Yankees sought the second opinion of Dr Bryan Kelly. Both doctors believe that there is a very strong possibility that Rodriguez's hip condition may have had a negative effect on his performance during the latter stages of the season and the playoffs."

The Yankees also have concerns over whether Derek Jeter, the 38-year-old 13-time All Star short stop who is recovering from ankle surgery, will be fit in time for Opening Day.